Westfield, Mass. — Brett Velzis and Hunter Dean of Mass. Maritime have been named the 2025 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year and headline the 2025 MASCAC All-Conference team as voted by the eight coaches from around the league.
Velzis, the graduate third basemen from Cypress, Texas., earns this year’s MASCAC Player of the Year after finishing in the top three of the MASCAC in batting average (.433), on-base percentage (.541), slugging percentage (.817), doubles (13), RBI (56), walks (28) and home runs (11). He also had 52 hits and 32 runs scored this season. Earlier this year, he broke the Buccaneers record with his 70th career base hit. During his player of the week winning performance, Velzis batted .632 (12-19) with four home runs, two doubles, 13 RBI, eight runs scored, five walks, a 1.421 slugging percentage and a .708 on-base percentage in a 5-1 week for the Bucs.
Taking home 2025 MASCAC Pitcher of the Year honors is Dean, a senior from Plymouth, Mass. Dean ended the regular season first in the league with 10 wins and 87 strikeouts. Over his 42 conference innings, he was a perfect 6-0 over all six starts with 54 strikeouts and a 3.21 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He tossed a complete game two-hitter with 11 strikeouts, including seven in a row at one point, in the win over Framingham State. He allowed only two hits and one walk and gave up one run in his seventh win on the mound this season to earn Pitcher of the Week April 28.
In his first season with the Lancers, Christopher Mondesir of Worcester State grabs the 2025 MASCAC Rookie of the Year honors. The freshman from Roslindale, Mass. was in the top 10 of the league in batting average (.379), triples (2), home runs (11), walks (22), runs scored (37), RBI (36), on-base percentage (.496) and slugging percentage (.796). His best game of the year came in the win over Bridgewater State where he broke several school records, including RBI in a game with 11 and home runs in a single game with four, including two grand slams to earn NCBWA DIII Rookie of the Week.
After guiding the Lancers to a 12-9 record and fourth seed in the tournament, Phil Price of Worcester State was voted the 2025 BSN Sports Coach of the Year as selected by his peers. Grabbing a spot on the MASCAC First Team All-Conference along with Velzis, Dean and Mondesir are Bridgewater State’s Cameron Breault, Scott Emerson, Ryan Flaherty, Kevin Lindsay, Philip Messina, Framingham State’s Massimo Mondi, Westfield State’s Dan Burnett, Sean McNamara, Nick Marshall, Sam Palmer and Worcester State’s Ben Smith.
Earning a spot on the MASCAC second team are Bridgewater State’s Brendan Flaven and Trey Yesu, Fitchburg State’s Joseph Abt and Jacob Hurrell, Framingham State’s Steven Burbank, Mass. Maritime’s Michael Estrada, Sam Huffmann, Colsen Loughren and AJ Pietrafesa, Salem State’s Owen Duggan and Westfield State’s Robison Baez, Michael Hall and Devin Slattery and Worcester State’s Gavin Price.
2025 MASCAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Player/Institution Class Position Hometown
Ryan Flaherty, Bridgewater State Junior First Base Duxbury, Mass.
Scott Emerson, Bridgewater State Senior Second Base Peabody, Mass.
Brett Velzis, Mass. Maritime Graduate Third Base Cypress, Texas
Kevin Lindsay, Bridgewater State Graduate Shortstop E. Bridgewater, Mass.
Philip Messina, Bridgewater State Senior Catcher Dunkirk, N.Y.
Massimo Mondi, Framingham State Freshman Outfield Rockaway, N.J. .
Sam Palmer, Westfield State Senior Outfield Medfield, Mass.
Christopher Mondesir, Worcester State Freshman Outfield Roslindale, Mass.
Hunter Dean, Mass. Maritime Senior Starting Pitcher Plymouth, Mass.
Sean McNamara, Westfield State Sophomore Starting Pitcher Lowell, Mass.
Ben Smith, Worcester State Senior Starting Pitcher Bourne, Mass.
Cameron Breault, Bridgewater State Senior Reliever/Closer Buzzards Bay, Mass.
Nick Marshall, Westfield State Senior Des. Hitter Reading, Mass.
Dan Burnett, Westfield State Senior Utility Granville, Mass.
SECOND TEAM
Player/Institution Class Position Hometown
AJ Pietrafesa, Mass. Maritime Senior First Base Harwinton, Conn.
Robison Baez, Westfield State Senior Second Base Dominican Republic
Devin Slattery, Westfield State Senior Third Base Ware, Mass.
Joseph Abt, Fitchburg State Junior Short Stop Newbury, Mass.
Colsen Loughren, Mass. Maritime Freshman Catcher Cape Coral, Fla.
Brendan Flaven, Bridgewater State Senior Outfield Taunton, Mass.
Jacob Hurrell, Fitchburg State Senior Outfield Haverhill, Mass.
Owen Duggan, Salem State Junior Outfield Billerica, Mass.
Trey Yesu, Bridgewater State Junior Starting Pitcher Monson, Mass.
Sam Huffman, Mass. Maritime Senior Starting Pitcher Guilford, Conn.
Gavin Price, Worcester State Sophomore Starting Pitcher Worcester, Mass.
Michael Hall, Westfield State Senior Reliever/Closer Westfield, Mass.
Michael Estrada, Mass. Maritime Senior Des. Hitter Covington, La.
Steven Burbank, Framingham State Senior Utility Canton, Mass.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brett Velzis, Mass. Maritime Graduate Third Base Cypress, Texas
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Hunter Dean, Mass. Maritime Senior Starting Pitcher Plymouth, Mass.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Christopher Mondesir, Worcester State Freshman Outfield Roslindale, Mass.
BSN SPORTS COACH OF THE YEAR
Phil Price, Worcester State